Even a torrential downpour wasn't enough to stop Palm Beach's horsey set from coming to Mar-a-Lago this past Sunday for the second annual Trump Invitational Grand Prix show jumping competition.

More than 600 guests paid $1,250 per seat to watch 36 riders, including Jessica Springsteen and a few other familiar faces from T&C's story about the show jumping world, compete for the $125,000 prize money in the backyard of the private club overlooking Lake Worth (Jennifer Gates, Bill Gates's daughter, rode in a $5,000 junior/amateur demonstration following the grand prix). Kent Farrington, onBlue Angel, won for the second year in a row. "I'm getting used to this," Donald Trump told him before presenting the trophy.

Georgina Bloomberg, who chaired the event along with Ivanka Trump and Paige Bellissimo, wore a flowing orange strapless dress and stood next to boyfriend Ramiro Quintana (their son, Jasper Michael Brown Quintana, was born on Christmas Eve) in line for the buffet, which included Chilean sea bass, Trump Ice bottled water, and a meat loaf named for Mary Trump, the mother of the Donald.

Athina Onassis Roussel, who is competing in the 12-week Winter Equestrian Festival in nearby Wellington that starts tomorrow, was there to watch friends. "The weather is a shame, but it's still nice," she said. "It's still fun."

Trump, for his part, wasn't concerned about the rain. "It's exciting! In many ways it's more exciting," the optimistic showman said. "Last year we had perfect weather but the sun was beating down on us. I like this better."

He said Mark Bellissimo, who runs Equestrian Sports Productions LLC and oversees the Winter Equestrian Festival, came to him with the idea for the event last year. "I have 24 acres in Palm Beach and nobody has anything like that. A big house is on one acre. I have 24. It's the great estate of Palm Beach."

Bellissimo and his daughter Paige founded the Great Charity Challenge, which has raised and distributed $4.2 million to charities over the past four years. After accounting for donations from sponsors like Rolex, Nespresso, and Gucci—but before correcting for the Donald's known tendency to exaggerate—this year's Trump Invitational was projected to raise $1.9 million for charity.

As Melania Trump listened to her husband address the media after the jump-off round that Farrington won, this reporter wondered if she was a show jumping fan herself or if the event was more of a burden on the private club, the onetime home of Marjorie Merriweather Post, where the Trump family maintains a residence.

"I think it's a very elegant, beautiful sport," she said. "Actually since we have it here I'm a big fan. What they do is really amazing."

Had she ever thought of taking it up herself?

"No, I think it could be very dangerous so I stay away from it. I prefer golf and tennis."

One upside? Unlike Mar-a-Lago's temporary grand prix ring, the Trump golf courses are already built and waiting for her.